Featured is a surgical instrument including a rotating cutting implement and a heat transfer mechanism configured to absorb heat energy during the use of such a rotating cutting implement. The heat transfer mechanism is configured so the absorbed heat energy is communicated to an external heat sink. Such a heat transfer mechanism includes a heat pipe, e.g., a scintered or wick type heat pipe. The heat energy is absorbed at one end of the heat pipe to minimize the potential for damage to the tissue and the like at and/or about the surgical site. Also featured are a surgical apparatus embodying such a surgical instrument and surgical or medical methods or procedures for manipulating, rotatably cutting, grinding, abrading or debriding tissue, bone or other structures or components of a mammalian body using such surgical instruments or surgical apparatus.

Methods and apparatus for a stone fragment suction device. An apparatus includes a steerable access sheath having a proximal end and a distal end, a tip at the distal end, and a suction conduit positioned within a central lumen of the steerable access sheath from the distal end to the proximal end, the steerable access sheath containing an outer lumen surrounding the central lumen with one or more channels therethrough, an outer circumference of the outer lumen and an outer circumference of the central lumen forming concentric circles, the steerable access sheath further including a radiopaque material at the distal end or along a length of the steerable access sheath to enable tracking with a remote fluoroscopic device.

Apparatus and methods for a stone fragment suction device are provided with fluid flow paths at a distal tip to encourage creation of turbulence or a vortex to enhance stone dust or debris removal via directed flow using targeted fluid exit conduits. An apparatus includes a steerable access sheath having a proximal end and a distal end, a tip at the distal end, directed flow channels at the distal tip, and a suction conduit positioned within a central lumen of the steerable access sheath from the distal end to the proximal end, the steerable access sheath containing an outer lumen surrounding the central lumen with one or more channels therethrough, the steerable access sheath may further include a radiopaque material at the distal end or along a length of the steerable access sheath to enable tracking with a remote fluoroscopic device.

A phased array ultrasonic inspection system configured for weld inspection includes a data analysis process with automated and optimized gating to take into account the actual distance between a phased array probe and a weld line. The system embodies a weld tracking module and a dynamic gating module. The tracking module produces dynamically corrected overlays of the weld line based on the echo signals, the dynamically corrected overlays having a series of offsets from the corresponding initial overlays. The dynamic gating module purposefully positions a plurality of data analysis gates to filter out noise signals caused by sources unrelated to the weld, and to provide dynamic target gating adjusted by at least part of the offset.

Disclosed is a sample handling assembly facilitating a sample holding cell used for XRD analysis. The assembly holds the sample cell upright during sample loading and analysis phases. The sample handling assembly is vibrated, partly by a tuning fork, to allow the powder to flow into the sample cell. After the XRD analysis, a rotating arm holding the sample cell is rotated 180 to orient the sample cell completely upside down so that the sample can be emptied. Also disclosed are jets of air that are pulsed onto the sample cell, and/or into the sample cell funnel-tube assembly, to shake and clean the components.